By the Wayside
by PlaidLion
Summary: Rolanda Xiomara Hooch had much to fight for in the second wizarding war against the Dark Lord. Love, surprisingly, stood chief among them. RH/MM.
1. To the Death

**Author's Note: I started writing this story when I was 13. I'm 21 now. And I still haven't finished it. It's almost adorable to think about, really. All these years, and Minerva/Rolanda is still pretty much my One True Ship.**

**I might as well give trying to finish this story another try. After all it's only been, what, nearly a decade now since I started? Pfft...**

**However. The years have meant that my ability to write has, hopefully, gotten better. As I looked over the story as it was, and as has been sitting here on the interwebs for years, I... found myself wincing more often than not. I was addicted to writing in the passive voice for a while there, apparently. So many characters running around "was"-ing all the time... **

**Anyway. I took down the story as it was and I'm editing, revamping, and generally just trying to make the thing a bit shinier. I'll repost chapters as I finish them and eventually, I hope to finish the thing with all new material. **

**Or, y'know. Maybe in another decade I'll come back for another try...**

**Chapter 1: To the Death**

_"STUPEFY!"_

From darkness, a jet of red light blasted into the back of a Death Eater. The person who had cast the spell hadn't even stopped running. Her robes billowed about her feet as she sped down the corridor and twisted around a corner.

The woman stalled for the smallest of moments, her yellow, hawk-like eyes flashing over the chaotic scene before her. The same eyes narrowed as she raised her wand again.

"_Impedimenta!_" She didn't even bother to see if she'd hit anyone; she'd already thrown herself into the heat of battle.

_Dodge a curse. Throw a curse. Dodge a curse. Throw a curse._

This was just like Quidditch, she thought. Dodging, weaving, moving, hitting. Bodies fell in crumpled heaps on the stone floor, the battlefield too dark to decipher whose deaths to mourn or whose to celebrate.

"ROLANDA!" someone called out above the noise of fighting.

The woman didn't hear it. Not at first. She was focused, shouting spells, jumping out of the way of curses thrown her way.

The voice yelled again, louder, closer. "ROLANDA XIOMARA HOOCH!"

This time the woman looked towards the voice. The sound of her full name seemed to jolt her mind from the heat of combat. She scanned the room, searching for the source of the familiar voice.

Minerva McGonagall had been backed into a corner of a crumbling wall, deep in combat with two hulking Death Eaters, her eyes boring desperately into the other woman's.

The yellow eyed woman, who answered to the name of Roland Xiomara Hooch, practically flew towards them.

"_Petrificus Totalus_" she yelled. Instantly, one of the Death Eaters fell to the floor, stiff as a wooden board.

The other Death Eater turned toward her quickly, his fist curled around his stubby wand so tightly it looked like he might snap it in half. He cast a curse, which Rolanda barely dodged. It grazed her shoulder, but she couldn't even spare the time it would take to wince.

Working together, she and Minerva finally managed to knock the Death Eater out. As he hit the floor hard, kicking up yet more dust into the already murky air, Rolanda made the last few steps to get within speaking distance of Minerva.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" she demanded.

"I don't know!" cried Minerva, "I don't even know where Albus is!"

"Well," Rolanda cast a jinx in the direction of a running foe, "then I think we 'ought to go alert the old man to the castle's current state of affairs, shouldn't we?"

Minerva merely nodded. The two retreated from the destroyed room in step with each other.

Suddenly, they spotted a few fighters who stood shorter then the rest.

"My god!" yelled Minerva, moving faster, "There are students out here in this!"

Rolanda sped up to keep pace with the taller woman. "You stay with the students, I'll find Albus." She turned to bound off in the other direction when Minerva caught her by the sleeve.

"No! You know that You-Know-Who ordered this! He's probably sent the bulk of his forces after Albus, you can't fend them all off by yourself!"

Rolanda jerked her sleeve free from the animagus' grasp. "We can't just leave them here. They're only kids!"

Minerva winced at the thought. On any normal day, she would have agreed with the flying instructor, but this was no normal day and Albus was their best bet at getting through this.

"They aren't first years. They'll be able to hold their own for a time. Besides, the fight is winding down here." said Minerva quickly, already speeding away from the scene.

Rolanda glanced back at the students, hesitating for a long moment before following suit.

Taking off down a corridor, the pair made for Dumbledore's office as quickly as they could. In the full karma of things, they were almost completely across the castle from it. They made use of every shortcut they could think of.

As they cut across a courtyard, Rolanda suddenly became aware of voices drifting down from a tower overlooking the area. She slowed her run and finally stopped, head tilted upwards toward the tower.

"What're you do-" Minerva began before Rolanda's hand shot over her mouth.

"Shut up!" whispered the shorter witch before pointing towards the tower with her wand. "Listen!"

Minerva removed Rolanda's hand from over her mouth before complying, following Rolanda's gaze to the high tower.

Voices were defiantly coming from the top. It sounded like a heated discussion.

"One of them sounds like... Albus?" whispered Minerva quietly.

They could only make out a few scattered words. Some voices seemed familiar to them, others sounded completely unfamiliar.

Suddenly they heard a loud shout, loud enough for them to immediately recognize the voice's owner, but the words they heard were ones they never thought they would ever hear from him.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

A green flash enveloped the entire courtyard, shading everything in sight emerald for a second in time. They watched helplessly as a body flew from the top of the tower, gravity pulling it to the ground, limbs flailing without their owner's consent.

The body hit the ground in the middle of the courtyard with a sickening thud.

Its identity was unmistakable.

The two teachers hadn't been the only witnesses to the headmaster's fall. A few other passersby had also been subjected to the scene. They, in turn, rushed off in search of others to inform of the news.

Within seconds, Minerva started running to the man's side. "ALBUS!" she cried, trying to convince herself that the entire ordeal was nothing but a dream.

Rolanda hadn't taken in a single breath since the Headmaster hit the ground. As her lungs propelled her to suck in new, life-giving air, her senses washed over her as well. She tore after Minerva, who was all but near throwing herself down over Albus' body.

"W-what do we do?" Minerva sobbed, her suddenly rampant emotions destroying her usually steely desposition. "Do we-should we get Poppy-" she began to bend down towards the body.

"There's nothing we can do..." Rolanda cut her off, grabbing Minerva's shoulders from behind to keep her upright while audibly struggling to keep her voice level, "H-He's... gone."

Minerva wavered on her feet for a few more moments. Then she turned around and looked at Rolanda, watery eyes searching the yellow ones before her for what, she couldn't be sure, before tearing away and barreling off in the opposite direction, unable to bear standing so close to Albus' body.

Rolanda didn't even try to stop her or go after her. Already, a crowd formed around Dumbledore's body, for apparently the fighting had ended and the news traveled fast.

Rolanda backed away slowly. It was all too much. Some people had fallen to their knees in grief, others yelled out at nothing in particular, no one able to conceive the fact that the greatest hope of ever defeating the Dark Lord had just fallen from a tower, dead before he hit the ground. Hagrid was even among them, visible over the heads of those in front of him, huge tears running through his beard.

The flying instructor retreated until she reached the edge of the courtyard, then she punched a nearby wall hard with her fist in frustration, ignoring her knuckles screaming their protest of the action by sending a sharp pain up her arm. She glanced around and noticed a lone figure leaning on a ruined griffin statue for the very support of standing.

"God, Min..." Rolanda whispered.

The Transfigurations professor hardly looked herself. Her shoulders slumped and shook and tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked and unmeasured.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see who it was.

Rolanda's spiky hair was unmistakable to her, even in the darkness that had overcome the castle.

"T-tell me that didn't just happen. Tell me that any second Albus is going to walk out of his office and inform us what nasty flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean he got most recently." Her voice sounded unsteady and soft.

Rolanda had never seen Minerva like this, never in all the years since they attended to school together. It scared her even more then Voldemort's Dark Mark in the sky.

She swallowed hard and tried to find her voice. "I... can't..."

Minerva slumped further, barely able to keep her footing. Rolanda caught her and pulled her into a tight hug, not knowing what else to do. Minerva held onto the shorter woman like a lifeline, sobbing quietly into her shoulder. Rolanda just held her close, holding her own tears down with effort.

After a while, Rolanda pulled Minerva up and looked at her. "We can't loose ourselves now, Minerva." she said with all the strength she could muster, "They need you now more then ever." She motioned towards the crowd around Dumbledore's body. "The school needs you. The Order needs you. You have to stay strong."

Minerva shook her head and looked down. Rolanda placed a hand on her cheek and made her look back up. "Talk to Potter. I heard rumors that Albus took him off somewhere not to long before-" she faltered, "Before all this went on."

Minerva nodded and stepped away from the flying instructor, attempting to straighten her robes and hair.

Rolanda attempted a smile, "Now you're looking more like yourself."

Minerva tried to smile too. It didn't entirely work. "Thanks for... being here." She said gratefully.

"Anytime." Rolanda answered simply.

Minerva sidestepped past the grey haired woman and made towards the crowd, her footing still a bit shaky. Rolanda stayed behind, not wanting to go near anyone, not yet. She walked around to the other side of the stone statue, where no one would see her, and slumped against it, her knees finally giving beneath her. She looked up towards the star filled sky, then back down at the ground. A few tears slipped from her eyes and ran down her face.


	2. Skipping

**Chapter 2: Skipping**

"How's she do that?"

Rolanda stood looking out the window of a high tower. Her yellow eyes studied the scene below on the grounds, though she found herself most often studying a certain coworker of her's.

"How's she bloody do that?"

Minerva looked poised. Her hair had been done up again in that signature bun, her glasses on straight, her eyes sharp and piercing as ever. She was the picture of composure.

Just a few days earlier that woman stood sobbing in Rolanda's arms at scene of the death of the very man who's funeral she now looked so emotionally detached from.

As dumbfounded as she felt, Rolanda still couldn't disapprove.

Minerva was expected to be strong by everyone, her students, the staff, the Order. Rolanda felt like she'd been let into some huge, atomic secret by seeing the woman cry at all.

They'd always been friends, even back in their school days. Minerva flew as a chaser for Gryffindor, Rolanda as the keeper for Hufflepuff. There was competition between them, yes, but the kind that only made them want to work harder to impress the other. However, a nasty fight at the end of their seventh year led to a years-long falling out. But as coworkers their friendship had returned. It always brought a grin to the Quidditch instructor's face when, during a game, she could watch Minerva's jaw drop while she saw a player execute a death-defying move that Rolanda had taught him. That grin tended to evaporate as Minerva lectured her about teaching such dangerous moves to minors but... well. You give and you take what you can, Rolanda reasoned.

They were close in an inward-outward way, a bit of distance despite their years of familiarity. They hung out in the Three Broomsticks from time to time to talk about nothing important but they shared no deep secrets. Yet, it was Minerva who had advocated that Rolanda be let into the Order of the Phoenix. It was Rolanda who worked harder than anyone knew to deserve that honor.

Rolanda closed her eyes as a breeze flowed in through the open window.

Yes, below the window, people had gathered for Albus Dumbledore's funeral. No, she wasn't in attendance. The man was dead and gone and as far as she figured they all needed to move on. There wasn't time for all of these theatrics. It almost made her angry to think of it. She'd lost friends in Voldemort's first attacks and no one gave them huge funerals. They did as much to protect the world as Albus and were just as great in spirit and mind, but the bottom line was that the world kept turning without them in it. Grass grew over their graves, wind shifted the leaves in the trees above them, and so long as Voldemort lived, new graves would be dug alongside them.

She looked down again. People started to disperse from the scene; the funeral was over.

She turned and made for her quarters. Minerva would surely have her hide for neglecting to attend the service. Best to wait it out and hope she busies herself elsewhere.

After muttering her password, she entered and flopped down on the couch, emitting a deep sigh. Even without the funeral the day had been tiring. Parts of the castle were in absolute shambles and she had been up and around repairing as much as she could for most of the day along with anyone else who was willing to do the work.

It wasn't long before the door to her rooms swung inward and Minerva stepped inside. Rolanda bolted upright.

"What the- how'd you know the password to get in here?" she asked incredulously.

"I was walking with you one time when you popped in here to get something and you just said it without caring whether I heard or not. I figured you would have at least changed it by now, but I guess I was mistaken."

Rolanda nodded slowly, remembering that, "Why are you here then?"

Minerva gave her a patented glare. "What kind of question is that? YOU were not as Albus' funeral!" she threw her hands up in the air, "I mean, you've pulled some pretty disgraceful acts in your life but this, this had got to be the worst!" she took a few more steps into the room, "Rolanda, that man was the greatest hope we had! He did more in his life then most people could do in ten lifetimes! It just seems like you don't even care that he's gone!"

"Look, I care alright!", Rolanda interjected forcefully, the accusation that she was totally callus to Albus' passing struck a nerve, "But what's crying about it now gonna solve? What in the world did that huge production of a funeral do to help us win this war, Minerva?"

"It was a show of respect for a great man."

"It was a _show_, alright." Rolanda folded her arms over her chest

Minerva rolled her eyes and looked away, deciding that the argument wasn't worth continuing. "The Order is meeting tonight. There are things that need to be discussed." She said simply.

Rolanda nodded.

"I have to help the students as they leave to get on the train later." Minerva continued before turning around and exiting the room without a goodbye.

Rolanda leaned back into the couch, exhaling slowly as she did so. Minerva McGonagall was a woman known to hold grudges, and skipping that funeral was not something the Scotswoman would soon forget. The close proximity that working in the Order gave them would give Minerva endless opportunities to disapprove of the flying instructor.

It was going to be a long summer.


	3. But in Men's Dress Robes?

**Chapter 3: But in Men's Dress Robes?**

Rolanda wasn't especially keen on weddings.

She could dissect the principal dynamics of marriage with a cold eye. She always thought the phrase "Till death to us part" should be omitted from weddings in the present century. If one really thought about it they would find that that phrase was written hundreds of years ago, back when people didn't live that long. "Till death do us part" wasn't exactly a huge commitment when you lived to be 35, 40 tops. Now people were living longer then ever. This is why there were more divorces.

Nevertheless, the spiky haired woman found herself getting ready to attend the wedding of her former student, Bill Weasley. All members of the Order had been invited, naturally, but only those without more pressing things to attend to were seriously urged to attend. Rolanda had no pressing engagements.

And she figured it might get her back into Minerva's good graces.

They hadn't been outwardly unkind to each other during the summer but there remained a simmering unevenness between them. Most of their time had been spent in between trying to fix the school and in meetings with the Order. Neither of the two of them had been put on the forefront of any aggressive plans. The Order thought their positions at Hogwarts too important to place them in any mortal danger.

Rolanda hated sitting around waiting for the school year to begin. She lived for action and the rush of adrenaline. Now the only thing that ever got her blood rushing was when news reached her of a mission gone awry. She personally went to check on the survivors of the attack that had taken Mad Eye Moody's life.

Minerva told her she was lucky she wasn't on that mission.

Rolanda disagreed.

The flying instructor suddenly appeared out of thin air a good distance away from the Weasley's house with a dull pop. She wasn't among the first to arrive and she could see a procession of people making their way up the winding little road to the house. Protective charms around the place prevented anyone from apparating anywhere close to the ramshackle building, which left the guests to hike the good distance to attend the wedding.

Her black dress robes absorbed the late summer sun like a magnet attracts a paperclip. They were men's dress robes, which some people might find odd, but Rolanda Hooch was a woman with spiky gray hair and yellow eyes. Odd was almost expected.

She reached the outdoor setup and glanced around, looking to find people she knew. Almost everywhere she looked she saw people with varying shades of red hair. The number of Weasleys was staggering, really. Rolanda joked once that the family reproduced like rabbits.

She finally spied Minerva over by a table, facing off to the side, in conversation with a red haired, middle aged man who it seemed had already had a little too much to drink even before the ceremony. Despite the fact that she looked very uncomfortable being stuck with the man, Minerva looked decidedly beautiful, Rolanda noticed with an unexpected pang. Minerva wasn't the kind of woman to get dressed up for just anything and when she did it was certain that she deemed the occasion important. And it seemed certain that when she did, she dressed up very well.

Rolanda walked over and tapped her on the shoulder from behind before looking to the man. "If I may, might I steal your new friend away for a time?" she asked.

The man took a swig from his glass, "Yeah, sure..." he said, already uninterested.

Rolanda led a grateful looking Minerva away to a more sparsely populated corner of the yard.

"I didn't know you'd be here." said Minerva, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"I figure I've skipped enough sentimental gatherings for one year." Rolanda shrugged.

"But," Minerva tugged gently at the other woman's tie, "in men's dress robes?"

"If I'm going to sit in a chair and watch two people make out I'm going to be comfortable while doing it. I'm going to wear pants."

They chuckled at that.

They hadn't been this pleasant with each other in weeks. Rolanda attributed it to the fact that she'd rescued Minerva from the company of the man who'd make her his drinking buddy rather against her wishes. Or perhaps it was the occasion. Few events produced the jovial atmosphere that a wedding could. In any case, Rolanda felt glad to finally feel the tension between her and the Transfiguration professor fade.

Rolanda's keen eyes zeroed in on a boy with red, curly hair. A Weasley perhaps, but she'd never seen him before despite his looking school-age. Minerva caught her gaze and followed it to the boy.

"Who is-" Rolanda began.

"They had to disguise him." Minerva cut her off, "Molly thought it would be best to make him look like one of their family. They've so many relatives I doubt anyone will notice."

_Of course,_ thought Rolanda,_ I should've known that neither Hell or high water could keep Potter away from this._

People began to take their seats in preparation for the start of the ceremony. Rolanda and Minerva sat close to the back.

The procession began. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley began by strolling down the aisle looking happier then either Rolanda or Minerva had seen them in a long time. Bill and Charlie Weasley took their places at the helm, both beaming wider then their faces should have allowed.

Minerva turned in her seat as the music gained volume to see Fleur and her father come up from behind them and down the aisle.

"She looks positively radiant." Minerva whispered to Rolanda, who only nodded in agreement.

"Ladies and gentlemen," began a short wizard who stood at the front between Bill and Fleur, "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls..."

He continued on with the usual wedding speech. Rolanda marveled at the amount of joy in her surroundings. All these people were gathered to celebrate this new life, this new love, in a time of terror and war. Amazing, that even in the darkest of times the best of people could still find joy.

"Do you, William Arthur, take Fleur Isabelle...?"

Rolanda glanced over to Minerva and noticed the other woman's eyes filling with huge tears just daring to fall down her cheeks. She reached into a pocket and took out a handkerchief, which she handed to Minerva wordlessly. Minerva took it and dabbed at her eyes, mouthing a silent 'thank you' to Rolanda.

"...then I declare you bonded for life."

The two women joined the enthusiastic applause wholeheartedly, broad smiles on both their faces.

As they stood up from their seats the scene around them was changed to accommodate more tables, food, and a canopy overhead.

Rolanda looked around, "Now that is a nice touch."

"Mmhm." Agreed Minerva. She made to hand back Rolanda's handkerchief.

"Keep it. What am I gonna do with it anyway now that you've cried all over it?"

Minerva rolled her eyes and chuckled.

They claimed a table with Hagrid, still in the process of drying his tear-filled eyes. Rolanda took a healthy drink from a butterbeer she'd swiped from the tray of a passing waiter and seated herself, loosening her tie.

Minerva took a seat next to Rolanda, and together the three of them sat watching the people populating the dance floor.

"Naut much of a dancer, eh Prafes'r?" Hagrid asked Minerva.

"No, I can't say that I am." She answered.

"Least not since the turn of the century..." Rolanda added with chuckle.

"You're terrible." chided Minerva, though she didn't loose her smile.

They sat for a while, enjoying the music from the band, the food from the waiters, and the entertainment from the dancers. Rolanda felt happy that Minerva at least seemed to have forgiven her for not attending Albus' funeral. The flying instructor never knew how much she enjoyed spending time with the other woman until they discontinued their regular jaunts.

Suddenly, an almost ghost-like, silver form glided through the overhead canopy and down onto the dance floor. Dancers and spectators froze and gaped at it with wonder and confusion.

"What the..." Rolanda began, leaping to her feet to see it better.

It was a Patronus, a lynx, magnificent and huge.

The lynx opened its mouth to speak. Its voice was that of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

_"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."_


	4. Wedding Crashers

**Chapter 4: Wedding Crashers**

It took a very small amount of time for the lynx's news to travel through the partygoers.

Rolanda and Minerva drew their wands, both feeling confused and off-balance by the sudden turn of events.

"How could this have happened?" breathed Minerva, "How could the Ministry have fallen?"

"It's not like it had far to fall." replied Rolanda, her eyes scanning her surroundings. "He had more spies in there then we did."

In fear, many people simply disapparated to escape the scene. Rolanda spotted Remus and Tonks on the other side of the dance floor, their wands out and held in a fashion similar to how she and Minerva stood. The Weasleys, too, stood at attention and armed themselves. Bill and Fleur were back to back.

Suddenly a dark, masked figure appeared in the center of the dance floor, slinging curses in all directions even before his feet had solidly hit the ground. More Death Eaters followed him, appearing in all corners of the yard.

Rolanda pointed her wand and shouted, "_STUPEFY!_", as a jet of red shot out towards the nearest Death Eater. The masked man merely uttered a counterspell and it bounced off harmlessly to his right.

Rolanda gritted her teeth as Minerva tugged sharply on her sleeve to get her attention.

"Where's the boy?" she asked hurriedly.

Rolanda jumped closer to Minerva to dodge a curse thrown in her direction, "Boy?"

"Potter, for god's sake!" Minerva shot a stunner at the turned back of a Death Eater about fifteen meters away, "Where is he?"

The two wheeled around wildly, searching the chaos, to try to find a glimpse of the red, curly hair that the Boy-Who-Lived currently sported.

"We'll split up and look for him!" Rolanda shouted before running off, still flinging spells at any dark figure she passed.

A Death Eater ran by, shouting out "CONFRINGO!" while pointing his wand at a nearby table. Rolanda barely had time to duck before the table exploded in all directions. Splinters of wood bounced off her back and an entire leg of the table thudded powerfully into the ground far too close for comfort.

She turned around and stopped short when she caught sight of Harry, but just as soon as it registered in her mind, not only he, but the two people standing nearest to him, the young Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, disappeared into thin air.

The pause in concentration on her part was just long enough for a Death Eater to hit her with a well-aimed curse.

Rolanda cried out, immediately falling to her knees. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. Her wand slipped out of her hand and she curled it into a tight fist. Her vision became misty and she shut her eyes tight against the pounding throb in her head.

"Just kill me already!" she yelled, pounding a fist against the ground before falling on her side to the ground, unable to even stay up on her hands and knees.

Then all the once the pain was gone. She couldn't feel anything, couldn't move. Her blurred vision gave her a lasting image of fast movement, flashes of light and color, and finally, a blackness that took over all her senses.

* * *

"...you think they got away?"

"But where did they go?"

"As long as it was away from here..."

Voices seeped into Rolanda's consciousness. She became aware that she was lying down on something more forgiving than the ground, but didn't remember getting to such a surface herself. She must have blacked out during the attack-the attack!

Rolanda suddenly bolted up into a sitting position as she remembered what happened at the wedding and winced immediately.

"Whoa, whoa," Minerva took hold of Rolanda's shoulder and eased her back into a lying position, "Take it slow."

Rolanda lay on a bed next to a window with a small mountain of pillows behind her. She still wore what she'd put on for the wedding, minus her tie and jacket. Minerva sat on a chair close to her bed. Molly Weasley was standing, keeping herself busy straightening things.

The sudden movement made Rolanda sharply aware of the dull pain coursing through her entire body. "Merlin," she muttered, massaging her forehead, "I feel like I got run over by a bus..."

Molly reached out and tilted Rolanda's head back, pouring a cup of an unnamed liquid down the woman's throat.

"That'll help you feel a bit better, dear." said Molly.

"T-thanks..." answered Rolanda as she tried to find a word to describe the taste of the potion. "What happened?"

Molly set about folding Rolanda's jacket into a neat package. "Well, how much do you remember?"

The potion began to work its magic by relieving the pain in the flying instructor's body and head. "We were at the wedding. The ceremony ended, people were dancing, and then Kingsley's Patronus came in to warn us that You-Know-Who has control of the Ministry..." she looked at Minerva, who nodded, encouraging her to continue, "Then Death Eaters started appearing, and me and Minerva went to look for Potter."

"Did you ever see him?" Molly asked.

"Only for a second. He was with Hermione Granger and your boy Ron. They must've disapparated to somewhere. Next thing I knew, someone hit me with something."

"Cruciatus curse." chimed Minerva, "A calling card of that Bellatrix Lestrange." There was obvious distaste in her voice as she said the name,

"He must have ordered some of his best people in. He thought this was important." added Molly.

"Was anyone hurt." asked Rolanda. "Besides me?"

"Nothing serious. The attack was too quick. As soon as they realized Harry was gone they left too in search of him." Molly looked down, worry in her eyes.

"They'll be fine. For now, at least." offered Minerva. "This isn't the first time they've been in mortal danger, after all."

Rolanda looked around the small room. She couldn't place it. "Right... But, might one of you tell me where exactly we are?"

"Still at the Weasley's. They know Potter isn't here; we don't think they'll come back." answered Minerva.

"Who all is still here?"

"Remus and Tonks are downstairs, along with the rest of the Weasleys, minus Ron of course, and Bill. He went with Fleur to her parents' house. Hagrid's out back helping Arthur piece the yard back together. Most everyone else has left."

Molly started making towards the door, "I 'ought to go help them. It'll... keep me busy anyhow." The woman bustled out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

Rolanda ran a hand through her hair. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours. Molly and I had just come in to check on you when you woke up."

Rolanda nodded, turning to look out the window. Moonlight shone in through the dusty pane.

"You just about scared me to death..." Minerva said quietly.

"Huh?" Rolanda looked back to her, surprised.

"Well I mean, I just saw you lying on the ground not even moving... First thing I thought was that you were..." she couldn't quite say the word, "And we only just lost Albus... We-I couldn't loose you too."

"I'm fine, Min'. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Rolanda put a hand on Minerva's arm. "It's gonna take a whole lot more then a cheap shot from that awful Lestrange woman to put me out of commission."

Minerva looked Rolanda in the eyes for a second before shaking her head gently and standing up, "Tomorrow the Order is coming to figure out where we go from here. You need rest."

"Alright." Rolanda relented.

Minerva turned out the light and made to leave the room, though not without a lingering look at the flying instructor before she shut the door.

Rolanda squirmed around in the bed until she found a comfortable position. It didn't take her long at all to drift off to sleep.

Tomorrow would bring news and planning. Things were bound to get a whole lot worse before they got better.


	5. Letters from the Darkness

**Chapter 5: Letters from the Darkness**

Rolanda woke early and surprised even herself by doing so. She never was much of am early riser. The smell of breakfast cooking wafted up from the kitchen, making her hungry even before she was completely awake.

She sat up and noticed a small pile of folded clothes on the chair next to the bed. Minerva must have put them there, she decided, it could have been Molly, of course but... Rolanda decided it was Minerva.

She stood up, stretching to shake the sleep from her body before changing into the clothes left for her. She left the bedroom and wandered down the hall until she found a bathroom. She turned on the sink and splashed some of the cool water on her face. It did a lot to refresh and wake her. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, noticed a sizable bruise on the left side of her face, and realized that she had no clue at which point in yesterday's excitement she'd gotten it.

The sound of pots and pans crashing carried up from the kitchen, followed by angry yells.

"FRED! GEORGE! Get OUT of the kitchen with those!"

Rolanda chuckled. "They don't change, those two." She said to herself.

"Breakfast is ready!" Molly's voice rang throughout the house, as did the subsequent sound of footsteps headed for the kitchen and the sounds of chairs skidding on the floor as people began to fill in the empty seats.

Rolanda walked into the room just as Molly began setting food on the crowded table.

"Oh, it's good to see that you're up and about!" said Molly, a genuine smile on her face.

"Mum practically freaked when they brought you in the house yesterday." said George as he began to load up his plate. "She thought you were a goner for sure."

Molly thumped him on the head with a spoon. "We'll not talk about things like that at the breakfast table!" she chided sternly before glancing at Rolanda, "And I didn't think you were a goner."

Rolanda laughed and took the vacant seat between Minerva and Ginny. "Course not, Molly, course not."

Minerva eyed the bruise on Rolanda's cheek. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Minerva, I promise you, I am fine. Just fine. Didn't we already go through this?" Rolanda answered.

Minerva merely gave her a doubting look . Rolanda tried to ignore it.

* * *

Rolanda sat quietly in the same chair she'd occupied during breakfast earlier that morning, sipping her drink quietly. The Order meeting was in full swing. Tempers flared, opinions flew. Attacks did that to people. It put them on edge, made them uneasy, scared them.

The table was full. Molly and Arthur sat next to each other, Kingsley Shacklebolt had made it to the Burrow as well, although a bit worse for the wear thanks to his hasty, narrow escape from the Ministry, Remus and Tonks sat at the far end of the table, Minerva sat across from Rolanda, and few other witches and wizards filled in around them, some Rolanda had only met before in passing exchanges.

Conversation focused on the past so far. The fall of the Ministry was quite the hot topic. Different members put in their stories, but it seemed as if the consensus was that a higher Ministry member turned Death Eater managed to assassinate the Minister, which threw the system into disarray. The rest fell like dominoes.

The Death Eaters' unnerving appearance at the Burrow also brought about a fair amount of idea exchanging. Rolanda decided she didn't have an opinion on that subject, as she was only awake for about five minutes of the attack anyway. She found that people kept looking at her throughout the conversation. The bruise on her face shone like a bullseye. She tried to ignore it.

Finally the subject of what to do now began. People shot ideas back and forth, and Rolanda decided to voice a question when the conversation hit a quiet lull.

"What about Hogwarts?" she asked.

People looked at her with interest.

"He has control of the Ministry," she continued, "so he has control of Hogwarts. Are Minerva and I expected to go back to work? Will students even be sent to school?"

Minerva sighed and pulled out a wrinkled envelope. "I was just about to bring up the subject myself." She said before holding up the letter. "This is a letter from You-Know-Who. It arrived this morning and concerns the school."

She opened the envelope, pulled out the letter, and began to read it aloud.

"_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_There is no doubt in my mind that you are by now worrying about the fate of your precious school, Hogwarts. I assure you, I have no plans to discontinue the education of our magical youth. In fact, I find it at the paramount of importance. Obviously, a school needs instructors. In order to maximize the quality of education the students receive, I will place some of my best men in certain positions. However, the services of some of you are still useful. You are no the only one I will ask back; I am sending multiple owls to those who are worthy of their positions._

_I also understand that as you have been Hogwart's Deputy Headmistress these past many years it would be your natural responsibility to take over for the late Professor Dumbledore. Yet, I feel that I have someone more suited to fulfill that particular duty. You might find the name familiar; it is none other then your old colleague Severus Snape. Prepare yourself for an exciting new year, my dear Professor._

_Lord V_- Well, You-Know-Who." finished Minerva.

The table fell silent for a moment.

"Do you know who else has been asked back to work?" asked Rolanda.

Minerva shook her head, "I only know that I have," she pulled out another envelope, "and you have." She handed the letter to Rolanda. "I would've given it to you earlier but I didn't want to worry you so soon."

Rolanda took the letter and set it down on the table in front of her without opening it. "Explains why you were so quiet at breakfast."

"So will you go?" Arthur asked. "I mean, what if it's a trap?"

"He wants to control the wizarding world, not destroy it. In order to continue, new witches and wizards must be educated, I'm sure he knows this." explained Minerva, "Even he must admit the need for competent teachers at Hogwarts, although I daresay he may have changed many things about the curriculum."

"So we're going back?" asked Rolanda.

"We have no choice. We have to, if for no other reason then to protect the students."

Rolanda merely nodded.

"Keep in close contact. Inform us of as much as you can." said Kingsley, "Whatever he's trying to train the students to do may give us a clue into what he's planning."

Minerva shook her head. "We can discuss details like that later when it comes closer to the beginning of the year. Right now we need to focus on staying safe until then."

"Protective spells have been set up around this house again." said Arthur, "You and Rolanda are welcome to stay here until the start of term. If nothing else, you'll be safe."

"Sounds like a plan to me." said Rolanda.

Kingsley stood up from the table. "I need to be leaving. I have affairs to attend to."

Kingsley's departure started a wave of goodbyes until no one but the Weasleys, Rolanda and Minerva were left in the house. Molly and Arthur excused themselves from the table inform their children, who had not attended the meeting, of the situation at Hogwarts.

Minerva glanced at Rolanda's unopened letter still on the table. "Aren't you going to read that?"

"No. I know what it says. It's my ticket back to Hogwarts, that's all I care about." She picked up the letter and neatly tore it in half.

A small explosion went off in the backyard.

"FRED! GEORGE! Whichever one of you did this CLEAN UP THIS MESS!"

Minerva rolled her eyes and smiled. "Those two are impossible, you know."

"Yeah." Replied Rolanda, a small smile on her face too.

"Almost enough to remind me of you." The taller woman said slyly before standing up from the table and making a retreat.

"Oh, come on!" Rolanda called after her, "You _know_ my pranks at school were better!"


	6. Under New Management

**Chapter 6: Under New Management**

The late summer sun blasted its heat down on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school year had yet to start. The grounds stood deserted. Well, deserted save for two figures trudging their way toward the castle.

"I was under the impression that when apparating somewhere, the idea was to get close to that place." muttered a frustrated Rolanda, lagging behind her companion, weighed down by the two trunks she drug behind her. "And why the hell am I carrying _your stuff_?"

"First, you know that we can't apparate inside of Hogwarts; we can only manage to get as close as we can, which is just outside the magical barrier." answered Minerva, not slowing down, "And second, you have been complaining all summer about being stuck at the Weasleys' and not getting any exercise so now you're getting some."

"This is not what I had in mind!" Rolanda continued to struggle with the trunks. "And would you SLOW DOWN!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, you're such a baby." sighed Minerva, turning around. She pointed her wand at the trunks. "_Wingardium Leviosa_."

The two trunks floated into the air, out of Rolanda's grip, and began to follow Minerva like two loyal dogs.

Rolanda shrugged and folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah I'd... I was just about to do that."

Minerva chuckled. "Uh huh."

After leaving their things in each of their respective quarters, Rolanda and Minerva entered the Great Hall, where their attendance "would be greatly appreciated for a staff meeting", or so said the latest letter from the "Headmaster". Both women looked relieved as they saw the familiar faces sitting at the house tables near the front.

The pair took a seat at a table with Pomona Sprout, Irma Pince, and Poppy Pomfrey. Pomona managed a smile as they sat down. "I'd say it's good to see you here, but given this place's situation... it might be better for your health if you were a hundred miles away." she said, trying out the humor.

"Ah, what's a hint of danger? This place hasn't exactly been the picture of safety in the last few years anyway." Rolanda began, "First we had that three headed dog in a dungeon, the Chamber of Secrets opened up, an escaped convict prowling the grounds, the Triwizard Tournament, and worst of all, that Umbridge woman. It's a bloody miracle we've all survived this long." She and Pomona laughed.

Minerva looked around, "Where are they? The... Well, You-Know-Who's people, I mean?"

"Not here. Apparently they weren't required to come to this." answered Poppy.

"Guess Snape wanted a chance to convert us to the dark side with no eyewitnesses." said Rolanda with a grin.

"Oh, stop with your dark humor." interjected Irma, annoyed, "It's not even funny."

Before Rolanda could come up with a retort, the doors swung inward with force. A dark robed Severus Snape sauntered into the Great Hall, his pace quick, yet his limbs still somehow stiff. The staff grew silent, all heads turned to watch him.

Minerva looked ready to kill him, and indeed even began to lean back from the table, as if to stand up. Rolanda took her arm in a vise-like grip and forced her still.

"Don't you dare do anything stupid." She whispered harshly.

Minerva settled back down and took a deep breath, clenching her jaw tightly. The other woman continued to hold onto her, not trusting her to not leap up and attempt to strangle the man at the front of the room.

"The school year starts in a week and there are some things you need to be informed of." Severus began. "The positions in Muggle Studies and Dark Arts classes have been taken by Alecto and Amycus Carrow. For your own health, I urge you to not cross either of them."

Pomona issued a snort of disbelief at that statement.

Severus continued to speak, mostly of new rules, or the lack-thereof. His demeanor surprised Rolanda. She'd expected him to be arrogant and sharp-tongued in this position of power; like holding a magnifying glass up to the bad attitude she'd always known him to sport. Quite the contrary was true. If anything, he was quieter and disheveled. She could almost detect a small sadness and worry in his dark eyes.

Minerva, however, seemed to not notice any of these things, if her failing attempts to keep a passive expression on her face were any indication. By the time Severus had finished and dismissed them, she was practically twitching.

"You really need to cool it, Min'. Starting any conflicts would generally be a bad idea now." said Rolanda as she, Minerva, and Poppy walked out of the Great Hall together.

"Well, excuse me if I can't stand to be in the same room with... him!" Minerva snapped.

"I don't see that there's a lot you can do about it." Said Poppy, "Like it or not he's in charge."

"And so are we!" came a voice from behind the trio. They turned around to see Amycus Carrow walking in their direction. "And you'd do well to remember that." He continued, sneering.

"I beat you in a fistfight once before, Amycus, I'm pretty sure I could manage it again." said Rolanda smugly, thinking back to an incident in her sixth year, his forth.

The man's sneer disappeared. He walked closer to the gray haired woman. "You don't have your dear Professor Dumbledore around anymore to protect you from the repercussions of your actions, Hooch." He snarled, his voice dangerous, "I'd suggest you watch where you step." He stormed off without a backwards glance.

"Stay cool, you said." Minerva turned to Rolanda as soon as Amycus had turned the corner. "Avoid conflict, you said.", her attitude having suddenly changed from anger to slight amusement.

"Oh, shut up. Me and him have history." said Rolanda dismissively as she led them to start walking again.

"You have history with almost everyone here." observed Poppy.

"I was a very social child."

"You were a very social child with a very short attention span." mentioned Minerva. "If someone couldn't be kissed, made fun of, fought, played against in sports, slept with, or cheated off of during an exam, you didn't want a thing to do with them."

Rolanda managed a sly grin, "So where did you fit in?"

Both the flying instructor and the school nurse burst out laughing at Minerva's lack of answer.


	7. Pick Your Battles

**Chapter 7: Pick Your Battles**

"Professor! Professor!" Minerva looked up from the papers she'd been grading. Her glasses wavered from where they stood perched on the very end of her nose where they'd managed to slip down to thanks to her position hovering above the papers, head bowed low. The school year was well underway now. It was November. The sun dipped low in the sky, but Minerva was a chronically hard worker when it came to grading. The work distracted her, in any case, from the rest of the world.

Ginny Weasley ambled breathlessly through the rows of desks towards Minerva, nearly catching her foot on chair legs as she ran.

Minerva adjusted her glasses. "Yes, Miss. Weasley?"

Ginny made it to the teacher's desk, pausing to gasp for breath.

"Goodness, what in the world is going on?" Minerva chuckled. In the time she'd spent at the Weasley's during the summer she'd managed to become quite fond of the youngest in the family. They hadn't become close, in any means of friendship, but they had learned more about each other then they would have in any normal situation. It fostered a sense of kinship between them, in a way, a concrete feeling of having an ally. Such things are valuable in such dark times, and both cherished it.

"Madam H-Hooch..." she began, still gasping, having run a distance and done so quickly to get to the Professor's classroom. "In the courtyard…"

Minerva was at attention at once. What trouble had the woman caused now?

"A fight... the Carrow brother..." Ginny spoke in short spurts forced around her gasps for air. She wasn't trying to speak in correct sentences, she just wanted to squeeze meaning into short phrases.

Minerva jumped to her feet. "A fight? A fight?"

"Fistfight."

Minerva clenched her fists and started for the door, Ginny close behind. The pair made their way swiftly towards the courtyard. Minerva didn't try to run, and Ginny probably couldn't have managed it anyway, not after all the running she'd already done.

As they rounded a corner, Minerva found the courtyard full of students, full of activity. Minerva began to shoulder her way through the crowd, and soon the students took notice of a professor in their ranks and began to move aside before she had the chance to displace them physically. Ginny stayed at the edge of the crowd, apparently having seen enough of the spectacle for herself and not craving to see any more of it. Finally, Minerva reached the end of the crowd, and took in the sight in the middle.

Severus Snape had beat her to the scene. He stood in the middle, looking as if he was going to snort flame from his nostrils at any moment. He faced Amycus Carrow, who had obviously taken quite a hit to his right leg, if the way his balanced was skewed was any indication. He stood, but only barely. If the a breeze blew by, he'd be face down on the ground. His face betrayed anger, pain, and confusion. Severus was raging in his own way, not yelling, but his voice, low as it was, commanded urgent ferocity as she spat out his words.

Rolanda lay behind the Headmaster. She was on the ground, on her back, propped up on her elbows. Blood flowed freely from her nose and she made no effort to stop it. She wore no smile, but her eyes gave insight into her smug feeling of accomplishment.

Minerva at once rushed to her and lowered to her knees beside her, all the while switching her gaze from the gray haired woman to Severus and back.

Severus quelled his anger at last. He glanced back at the two women, gritted his teeth, then stormed to the Carrow male. He helped the man hobble from the scene, supporting his weight to keep it off his damaged leg. The crowd parted quickly from the two, afraid to be in the way of the all but snarling Headmaster.

"_What in hell_ did you do?" snapped Minerva at Rolanda in a quiet but obviously angry voice.

"I don't regret what I did." Rolanda answered simply, challengingly.

Minerva rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Are you hurt, that is, can you walk?"

"Legs are fine."

Minerva helped her colleague to her feet, but kept a firm hold on the shorter woman's shoulder. "We can't go to the hospital wing. That's where Severus will have taken him, and you two have seen quite enough of each other." She started them moving even as she spoke. "We'll go to my quarters."

Rolanda didn't answer. She walked, under guidance by Minerva's lead. She shook her head, trying to clear her head of the throbbing pain which had already set in. She found herself mildly aware of scene changes. They stumbled down a corridor now, not the courtyard. The people disappeared, no one stared at them anymore. The light changed too, no more the sun overheard, now the shadows of the castles loomed all around. Minerva urged her to stop, they were in front of a door now, as the taller woman uttered the password and the door opened.

Minerva led her in and forced her to sit on the couch before walking around to the private bathroom included in all faculty quarters. She returned quickly with a damp washcloth and sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I don't understand how you keep doing this kind of thing." She said as she began to try and clean up the other woman, beginning with the blood which all but covered a good half of the referee's face.

Rolanda winced pulling away from Minerva's hand, least of all wanting physical contact to her face. Her nose had most likely been broken. It hurt. "Wasn't my fault. He started it."

"Don't be a child." Minerva insisted, addressing both Rolanda's words and action, though her voice wasn't as harsh as before. She reached up with her other hand, placing it on the woman's cheek, holding her still, while she continued to try to clean her up. "What happened?"

"He was using the torture curse to discipline a student, Minerva. The Cruciatus Curse!" She winced as Minerva neared her aching nose. "I tried to make him stop. I couldn't let him do that to a kid, a first year, even. I know what that curse is like."

Minerva's gaze on Rolanda softened. So her intentions had been noble at least. She felt grateful to know that much. It hadn't just been a case of the flying instructor looking her temper with an old enemy. "But... a fistfight?"

"He started that much. He took the first swing at me. I kicked him in the knee good then. After that... I don't know. It moved fast, got out of control for me..." She furrowed her brow, thinking. "I think he fell on his wand though. I hope he broke it."

Minerva wiped the last of the remaining blood off the other woman's face. "You and me both then, you and me both." She sighed and leaned back. "Is there any chance of you getting a proper bath, because you need one."

Rolanda merely looked at her, gold eyes flashing ever so dimly.

Minerva chuckled. "I forgot who I was talking to. The Queen of Brutal Quidditch moves." She stood, and took her wand from her pocket. "Then it's handy that Poppy taught me this little charm a while back."

Rolanda looked at her curiously for a moment before Minerva waved her wand and uttered a spell. In a split second, the magic changed Rolanda's clothes and cleaned the rest of her body, leaving her in better shape then if she had taken the time to prepare a bath.

"That is a nifty spell..." Rolanda commented.

"You're staying here tonight." It wasn't a question. Minerva stood and disappeared into the bedroom, coming back with a pillow and blanket. She placed the pillow at the end of the couch, then took the gray haired woman by the shoulder and forced her to lie down.

"Geez, who are you, my mother?" Rolanda was just lucid enough to make the joke.

Minerva unfolded the blanket before covering the other woman with it. "Only when you're in trouble. Which is... often."

Rolanda ignored that.

The Transfigurations professor looked up as she heard someone knock on her door. She crossed the room and opened it to find Poppy Pomfrey looking at her with obvious worry shining in her eyes.

"Severus brought Amycus to the hospital wing, but didn't explain what went on, just left him. Gossip travels fast in these halls though, I heard a student mention that Rolanda was in the scuffle. I thought you would bring her here." Poppy tried her look around Minerva to see the Quidditch referee. "Is she ok I mean-"

"She's fine. Or at least she will be. In a little time. I'd rather not have the other Carrow find out where she is, lest revenge be something she fancies. Go tend to him. He seemed in worse shape then Rolanda anyway. Come by tomorrow, I'll keep her here. You can check her out then."

Poppy nodded, knowing both the needs for the discretion and kissing up to those in power. "You make sure she doesn't leave here then, before I see her."

"I'll tie her to a chair if I have to."

Poppy managed a small smile, before she turned and bustled down the hall, in a hurry but dreading to return to the Carrow's bedside.

Minerva shut the door and turned to return to Rolanda on the couch. She was surprised to see that the woman had already fallen asleep. She smiled gently, shaking her head and she stepped over beside the couch again.

"You are too much trouble..." she muttered very quietly, brushing some of the other woman's unkempt hair away from her face.

Then a sudden impulse caught her. Surprising herself, she stooped down and softly kissed the woman on the forehead, lingering there for a moment, savoring the closeness.

Her mind returned to her quickly though, and she jolted back upright, expecting to see Rolanda staring at her wide-eyed in confusion. But Rolanda remained asleep, fast asleep. Minerva watched her for a minute, wondering if she had imagined what she did.

But she hadn't.

_"I don't regret what I did."_

The words Rolanda spoke earlier returned to her mind oddly and she had to shake her head to clear the voice from her thoughts.

"I'm old and I'm crazy and I'm losing it..." She walked away from the couch, towards the bedroom, suddenly aware of an onset of tiredness.

_"I don't regret what I did."_

And she didn't.

She really didn't.


	8. The Nobility of a Serpent

**Chapter 8: The Nobility of a Serpent**

They'd wasted half her day, those fussy women.

It wasn't her first fistfight, after all. It was just her first fistfight in this decade. She was rusty. That had to be the only reason Amycus had managed that cheap shot to her nose. She got him back though. Not the kick to the knee, no, that didn't count. Poppy would have fixed that by now. But the broken wand, that was lasting.

Rolanda messed with the collar of her shirt, trying to get it to lie correctly. She'd all but sprinted out of Minerva's quarters once Poppy had finished with her check up, eager to get away from those worried faces.

Students looked at her differently, apparently the story had already been absorbed into Hogwarts lore. She might have pissed off a few people but she'd impressed almost an entire school.

But this next part of it wouldn't be fun.

* * *

_"You're worse then the students." Poppy began putting things back into her bag as she finished with Rolanda._

_"Oh for Merlin's sake will you two stop treating me like I'm a five year old." Rolanda rebelled._

_"When you stop acting like one we'll stop treating you like one."_

_Rolanda just rolled her eyes. "You would've hit the bastard too if you'd been in my place."_

_"No, I would've used magic to stun the imbecile. We're WITCHES dear. It's what we're supposed to do. What use is a wand if you prefer to tackle someone and roll around with him in the dirt?"_

_"Please, Poppy, skip the lecture. I'll be a good girl from now on, I promise. Next time he pisses me off I'll jinx his ass from here to the Amazon. No more fistfights."_

_Poppy sighed, but couldn't hide her grin. Apparently a good night's sleep and a bit of medical care had restored the other woman's scathing wit. "It's not my job to lecture you anyway. Severus wants to do that himself, apparently."_

_"What?" Rolanda looked at her hard._

_Poppy shrugged. "He came by the hospital wing. I thought it would be to check on Amycus-"_

_"How is he, by the way?"_

_"Physically just fine, but he continues to complain about aches and pains and demands more healing potions and whatnot. He's a bigger baby than you. And don't interrupt."_

_Rolanda chuckled at the state of her adversary, even finding Poppy's jab at her in good humor._

_"Well, Severus didn't even stop at Amycus' bed." continued Poppy, "Came right up to me. He told me to tell you to come up to his chambers as soon as you can. Then he turned around and marched off."_

_Rolanda sighed and massaged her forehead. "What happens if I don't go?"_

_"You're going." interjected Minerva, who had up until that point been silent. "You have enraged one dark minion already this week. I am putting a cap on it. No more."_

* * *

Rolanda stopped at the door.

The gargoyles jumped aside at seeing her walk up, allowing her further access to the Headmaster's chambers. Good thing too, as Rolanda didn't know the password. Severus must be intent on seeing her if he had made such arraignments. She didn't feel excited.

She knocked on the door, surprising herself by the show of courtesy.

"Enter." came from the voice from inside.

She pushed the door inward and stepped into the room. Severus stood in front of a narrow window, his arms folded over his chest. She walked far enough to stand in front of the desk.

"Sit." He said.

She didn't. "What do you want exactly?" She worked hard to keep her voice emotionless.

"What did you think you were doing yesterday?" he hissed.

"It wasn't my fault, he took the first swing-"

"No one is here to protect you any more!" he turned from the window. "Do you understand that? Dumbledore is dead. The Dark Lord is in control of everything."

She didn't back down from his glare.

"The Carrows have clearance to kill you, do you realize that? If he hadn't broken his wand when you kicked him you'd be dead right now. Do you know how hard I had to work to convince his sister to not kill you?" the man continued.

"Why do you care? Why did you save me then, if I'm such an idiot?" Rolanda challenged him.

He turned back to the window and took in a long breath. "Because I made a promise..." his voice was quiet.

"A promise? A promise to who? What can't allow them to kill me so that your Dark Lord can come here and do it himself later?"

He rolled his eyes but didn't take the bait. The older witch was excitable and prone to fights, but he wasn't about to be bullied into one now. "It was a promise to... Dumbledore..."

Rolanda looked as if Amycus had stormed into the room and punched her in the nose again. "Excuse me? You _killed him_. You didn't promise him anything!"

"Didn't you see his hand, blackened as it was? The old fool messed in things he shouldn't have and he paid for it. If not for my potions he would have died in less than a fortnight." he sighed heavily, "He was dying anyway, not even I could cure that. He asked me to kill him. To save Draco- Draco Malfoy- from having to do it. The Dark Lord chose him. But... he is just a boy..."

Rolanda looked lost. Could this be true? Could it possibly? Albus Dumbledore always seemed to work in ways that were difficult to understand. But this was too much. Severus Snape, once a Death Eater, turned to working for the Order, doubling back to the Dark Lord's side, yet somehow loyal to Dumbledore all the time? Rolanda would have liked to see Professor Trelawney predict something like that.

She merely continued to stare at the lean man, wordless.

"I promised him I would try to protect Hogwarts, keep it intact long enough for the Dark Lord to be overthrown... You are part of Hogwarts, part of the Order. You hold importance."

Rolanda ran a hand through her short hair, looking away from Severus, trying to take in all that was being thrown at her. Suddenly she leveled her eyes at him again and marched across the room to stand next to him at the window.

"Severus Snape," she started, "I've known you ever since you started work here and you are morose, dark, depressing, grim, thoroughly unhappy, and generally unpleasant to be around."

He didn't flinch at the adjectives used.

"But I have never known you to be a liar." she finished. "Look at me and tell me that all of what you've said is true."

His dark eyes met her golden ones without fear, "Everything I've said is the truth. Every word."

Rolanda's gaze lingered on his face for a few moments longer before she looked away, out the window. "Why are you telling me all of this? You must have a reason. No one shares classified information for kicks."

"I'm not going to save you again." he said evenly, emotionless, "My position here is too important. If you overstep your boundaries again I cannot intervene without the Carrows suspecting me of something. I cannot jeopardize everything that has been worked for so far for you again."

Rolanda nodded in understanding.

"And I need to warn you."

"Of what?"

"The Dark Lord is coming. Here. Tomorrow. He wishes to speak with you and Minerva alone. I do not know what about. He knows that the two of you are in the Order, I can imagine that he is looking for information. Prepare your mind. He is a master of terror and he will try to push you to get what he is looking for. Do not give him anything too important."

Rolanda stared out the window, her face blank.

"And don't tell Minerva about any of this. The fewer people who know about my allegiances, the safer I will be."

"I won't tell a soul." She answered. It was a promise.

"Now go. Make up a story about what was said here. You're good at that sort of thing. Make me out to be a real villain." He wasn't joking.

Rolanda began walking towards the door. As she reached it and took hold of the handle she turned back around. Severus had walked to the desk and sunk down into the chair, wearied.

She glanced over the hunched man, to the picture frame behind him. Like every headmaster before him, a painting of Albus Dumbledore had been placed in the office.

But the frame remained empty.

Rolanda averted her eyes, pulling the heavy door open. The woman suddenly realized how little her knew about what events had taken place in this office, and how little she must know of so many of the gears turning against each other in this complicated, dark world she found herself inhabiting.


	9. A Lack of Cooperation

**Chapter 9: A Lack of Cooperation**

Rolanda felt glad to have Minerva there, to not be alone.

The Carrows had led them here to this barren room, both siblings still seething from Rolanda's perceived victory over Amycus in the fistfight, but neither of them felt bold enough to do anything about it. The one window in the empty room was hidden behind a heavy, and most likely dusty, curtain. No furniture set around, not a single table or chair. Nothing hung from even the walls. The floor was stone. The light was dim.

By order of the Dark Lord, the Carrows said, the interview was to take place here, in this forsaken, forgotten corner of the castle.

"It's all theatrics." Rolanda said softly, "He wants to scare us into giving him what he wants."

"But what is he looking for?" Minerva seemed unnerved by the entire situation.

Rolanda glanced at the other woman, wishing that she could have told her that this was coming. But she'd made a promise to Severus; no one else could know anything of what he told her. And it made sense why. If Minerva McGonagall, greatest ally of the late Albus Dumbledore, suddenly stopped hating Severus, Dumbledore's killer, people would notice and wonder why. Minerva's hate was a key component of Severus' facade. It had to exist and couldn't be faked.

Rolanda made the mental note to sit her down and tell her the truth once this whole war thing was over.

Someone threw the door to the room open with a resounding bang. The first man to cross the threshold was a hulking brute, squat and on the short side, but muscular beyond all reason. His footfalls echoed as he marched over the stone, stopping a few feet from the pair of witches, standing at attention like a well drilled soldier.

Then He entered, Lord Voldemort. For all the noise his companion made, Voldemort seemed to move in mute. His footsteps made no sound, if even his feet made contact with the floor, for one might mistake him for gliding just above the ground. His deathly pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light, as did his eyes, peering from their slit like openings.

He stopped next to his muscular partner and grinned widely, and oh how he grinned. Rolanda felt her blood run cold at the sight. Minerva stiffened.

"Professors!" his voice sounded so precise, so collected, "My dear, dear Professors." And he grinned some more. "How is this school year going so far? My changes to policy have improved much don't you think, hmm?"

Minerva balled her hands into fists. "What do want from us?" she couldn't bear to address him by any name or title, "Surely you didn't come all this way to chat."

"Very foreword you are, Professor! Very foreword..." He played idly with the sleeve of his robe, adjusting it, "I had thought to begin with more pleasant topics. But I see you wish to cut to the chase." He took a few steps towards them, enough to pace back and forth in the space between then and the still at attention Death Eater behind him. "The two of you are in the Order of the Phoenix." He saw Minerva open her mouth to say something, but raised a hand to quiet her, "Now shush, shush, nothing for you to say about it. I know what's true and what's not. I'm not here to punish you or ask where your little headquarters may be, no..." and he stopped pacing, standing in between the two, "I need a specific piece of information. A trifle, a nothing, only a name. One name."

"What makes you think we are so connected to the Order?" asked Rolanda, "We are at Hogwarts, leagues away from any basis of activity. How do you know we are well informed?"

"Owls into and out of this school are monitored." He said, "I know you two have been communicating with people."

"Why not just intercept the owls then?"

He cackled, "Now that would be rude, wouldn't it? And you Revolutionaries are clever, you are. If I intercept your little communications you would find out that I did it, then you would cease to communicate, and what's more, the information I intercepted might not have been the information I was seeking. Mmm, I couldn't have that, so I let you speak with your familiars. Just so I would know where to go if I needed something, as I do now."

Rolanda clenched her jaw.

The Dark Lord resumed his pacing. "I am looking for a certain somebody. He interests me, you see. My findings have pointed to the fact that an old friend of your dear Dumbledore is still around. Quite the feat. Most men that age have succumbed to dementia by now. He may have information that I could find... most enlightening. I don't know anything about him other than the fact that he exits. Somewhere. I need to find this man. However..." and he looked at the witches as he spoke now, "The one thing I lack is this man's name. The name is all I need from you, no location, just his name. Harmless enough information, isn't it?"

The pair didn't even dare exchange glances. They knew of whom he spoke, an old codger in the Order, an Elphias Dodge, older then sin, but deceptively clever. If information on Dumbledore was what Voldemort sought, Dodge was the man to seek; he went to school with Dumbledore and was a lifelong friend of the man. He knew a lot, too much; too much to be risked to become a pawn in the Dark Lord's claws, which is why the Order had taken great pains to hide him away.

"Come now..." Voldemort hissed, "A name, Professors. Please." And his gaze hardened, "I am not a patient man."

They stood defiantly. "You'll not bully it out of us." Minerva spat, glaring at him.

"Ah, resistance." He grinned dangerously, "I urge you, do not give me reason to be... unpleasant."

The witches remained silent.

"Consider me swayed to unpleasantness." growled the Dark Lord quickly before he lunged foreword and grabbed Minerva by the forearm with one hand, pulling his wand from his robes with the other as he forced her away from Rolanda and nearer to him.

"Minerva!" cried Rolanda, and she grabbed her own wand.

"_Expelliarmus_!" shouted Voldemort and Rolanda's wand flew from her hand to clatter down to the stone floor several feet away from her. "Crabbe, Restrain her!" The huge Death Eater leapt into action, forcing Rolanda's hands behind her back and holding them there.

Voldemort relieved Minerva of her wand by reaching into her robe for it, then he threw it aside. He pointed his own at her threateningly. "You see, I didn't want things to go this way..." he said, though whatever disappointment he might have tried to convey was masked by his grin, which was a large as ever. "Now I will ask you again, what is the name?" His eyes rested on Rolanda, clearly wanting the answer from her, sensing her as the easier to break of the two.

Rolanda merely shook her head, no voice, no answer.

"Still not going to spill it, are you..." he traced his bony jaw line with the tip of his wand. He eyed Minerva. "I really don't need two messengers to deliver one piece of information..." he pointed his wand towards the woman in his grasp.

"You wouldn't kill a prominent member of the Order, not if you're milking her for information!" Rolanda butted in, "She's too important for you to kill off." She tried to keep that wand trained somewhere else, anywhere else, just not at Minerva. Anything but Minerva.

"Too important. Too important? You think I've never gotten rid of someone important before? Importance means nothing without cooperation, dear Professor. Importance is immaterial."

"You don't want to-"

"_Want_ to? I have killed when I didn't want to, when I didn't plan to!" His eyes glinted, they seemed to flash with some unnamed emotion, as he pointed his wand, _"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ he roared.

The entire room glowed a blinding shade of emerald.

The Death Eater behind Rolanda crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud. Dead.

"Such a shame too..." Voldemort shook his head, "He had a boy here at this school, didn't he?" and he grinned.

Rolanda was frozen in place. It didn't even occur to her that nobody held her back her anymore; she couldn't move. Not as long as Voldemort's wand hovered so near Minerva.

"Now, Professor, the name?"

Rolanda couldn't have spoken if she wanted to, her mind was still reeling.

"No? Well, perhaps you." He peered down at Minerva, who only stared back at him furiously. You couldn't have pried her mouth open with a crowbar.

"You two have put me in a most annoying situation." Voldemort's voice took an exasperated tone, "But killing one of you probably wouldn't help after all, now that I think about it... No, that's a gift. Beautiful, painless death, no no no... Does nothing for negotiations." Then he seemed to get an idea. "Perhaps this will loosen your tongues..." He pointed his wand at Minerva, _"Crucio!"_

Minerva cried out sharply, falling to her knees, pain coursing through her body as easily as blood. After a few seconds, Voldemort stopped the curse. Minerva gasped for air, one hand on the floor for support.

"The name, please." he looked at Rolanda.

"Don't!" breathed Minerva, "Not a word!"

And Rolanda didn't say a word.

_"Crucio!"_

Minerva pounded the stone floor with a fist, trying not to yell, not to scream.

Rolanda couldn't bear to watch. She tried to look away, tried to close her eyes, but the sounds, the awful sounds still remained.

Minerva fell to her side on the floor, her body twitching from the curse.

Voldemort wasn't going to let up.

Rolanda's hands hurt from clenching her fists so tightly.

Minerva cried out finally, plaintively.

Rolanda couldn't take any more.

"DODGE!" she yelled, "Elphias Dodge..." Her shoulders slumped down, her head drooped.

Immediately, Voldemort lifted the curse. He laughed. "See how much easier things are when we... work together."

He didn't even look down at Minerva. He turned and walked to the door. As soon as he opened it, he shouted out to the Carrow female guarding the door, "Dispose of that body. It's unseemly to have it in a school!"

She didn't pay Minerva or Rolanda any mind. She sprinted into the room and proceeded to drag the dead weight of the former Death Eater away.

Rolanda rushed to Minerva's side as soon as he was gone. She lowed to her knees, taking the other woman in her arms. "Minerva I-I didn't mean to-He was-And you... I couldn't watch any more-Couldn't-"

Minerva placed a hand on her cheek to quiet her. "I know." Her voice was quiet, but not weak, not pained. Not what one would expect from someone who had gone through what she'd just gone through.

Rolanda pulled her close, burying her face in the other woman's robes, needing the closeness, needing to know that Minerva wasn't the corpse that had just been dragged from the room. Minerva circled her arms around Rolanda, and it became impossible to know who was holding who, who was comforting who.

Rolanda pulled back to see Minerva's face, "Is this how it is?" she asked.

"How what is?"

"When I get myself into trouble," Rolanda explained, "Do you get this scared?" Her golden eyes shone with tears she wouldn't allow to fall.

Minerva put a hand on the grey haired woman's cheek and stroked it gently, "I always know you'll be okay." She said, "And I'll be okay."

They pulled each other close again.

"I'll be okay."


End file.
